


Coffee, Tea, or Me

by mother_hearted



Category: Silent Hill
Genre: F/F, First Meetings, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-11
Updated: 2012-03-11
Packaged: 2017-11-01 18:49:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/360070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mother_hearted/pseuds/mother_hearted
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a large red bow attached to the collar of her white shirt and Elle can't help but giggle at the sight of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coffee, Tea, or Me

She joins a gym when she's not working her _okay-but-I-don't-want-to-do-this-forever_ retail job that pays the bills. Step aerobics is everything she thought it would be and three times a week she feels all her anger, frustration and anxiety roll off her in a thick sweat. 

It's late in the afternoon when her class is over, her cheeks still flushed from exertion, a thin sheen of sweat around her hairline, neck, and chest. She pinned her hair back before but it's a mess now, strands sticking out every which way. With the rush of endorphins firing into her brain she doesn't feel a hint of self-consciousness and it stays that way until she turns into a coffee shop around the corner, until she sees the woman in line in front of her, until _wow_.

Her name is Eileen Galvin (white name tag, her name in royal blue) and she's already got a cup in her hand. She's put together in a dark blue blazer and a charcoal skirt, heels shiny like her nails, clear but polished nonetheless. She's not wearing stockings or nylons or any sort of thing and Elle maybe glances down at her legs a little too long. 

"Long line, isn't it?"

Elle blinks at her, then smiles back at the small smile directed at her. 

"It's after five, I guess most people would be getting out of work by now."

"The caffeine induced hivemind of the working class is a powerful one," she turns to face her completely, cracking a fuller smile. She's wearing make-up, color on her lips, cheek, eyes. There's a large red bow attached to the collar of her white shirt and Elle can't help but giggle at the sight of it. 

"Is that real or...?" Eileen glances down at her chest and plucks off the ribbon with a snap.

"Clip on." 

She says it so matter of fact Elle can't help giggling again and Eileen's lip twitches before she lets loose her own. 

"When I showed my mother what work wanted me to wear she asked where the face paint was."

Elle has to cover her mouth with a hand to muffle her laughter, the hand that was resting on the bag she slung over her shoulder now clutching her side. She focuses on the exasperated but warm expression on her face, ignores the cold pit that always tries to form in her stomach when she hears the word _mother_. 

"Ahaha, I think you look nice, regardless of over sized accessories. Where do you work?"

"I'm a guide for Northfield's Egyptian exhibit."

Her eyes brighten, mismatching the genuine but tired upward curls of her lips. It's clear she's happy with what she's doing and Elle finds herself a little envious. Elle waits for the inevitable _what about you_ but it never comes and she's mildly relieved. Instead she asks more about her job, how long she's been working there, what exactly does she do, and she's already blown away by what she hears and she hasn't even seen a single picture or artifact. 

They keep talking until there's only three people ahead of them and for every minute that's passed Elle has noticed something new about Eileen. She'd be an inch or two taller than her, if she weren't in heels. There are auburn highlights to her hair. And she grows more and more aware of how she looks, hair damp and drying stringy around her face, her workout clothes torn and tattered around the edges. She can't help the way it makes her want to squirm.

Ever since she left Shepherd's Glen, she's been noticing how _pretty_ other women are. It's not that men have stopped being appealing (she spends a quarter of her aerobics class staring at the guy in front of her, at his back, his hips, his ass, _damn_ ) but women have caught her eye more and more and Eileen is so _petite_ and _vibrant_ and Elle is struck by a sudden thought of how she would feel held against her. 

It makes her face heat up and distracts her from what Eileen says next. 

"Huh?"

"Do you like vanilla?" She holds out the cup she had when she came in, little wafts of steam still rising from it. "I got it earlier but they mixed my order up with someone else. Do you want it?"

Eileen tilts her head, waiting. 

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I think I'm going to order an iced coffee instead anyway. Besides, you deserve a reward for hearing me go on about our latest center piece."

Elle takes it with a nod then, taking a sip and finding it hot and sweet. She holds a breath in her throat before she speaks next, heart pressing a little closer to her chest.

"I think if I had to hear about it, I should be able to see it for myself."

Eileen blinks, laughing in pleasure before nodding enthusiastically.

"Oh yeah, that would be great! Even if you aren't familiar with the history, it's still really impressive to see with your own eyes. I... _oh god_ ," she rubs a tired hand over her face, "I completely forgot to ask your name. I'm so sorry."

"I'm Elle," she says, shoulders shaking in silent laughter.

"I'm, well, I'm Eileen as you might have guessed," she gestures to her nametag like its a show piece and Elle's laughter goes from silent to loud, Eileen joining her with her own soft giggle.

She ends up sticking to Eileen's side when she gets her order, holding her own cup between her hands and taking small sips out of it. They don't stop talking until both their drinks are gone and phone numbers have been exchanged and Elle walks the rest of the way home feeling more warm and delighted than she can remember in a long time.


End file.
